Rocket smog FTW.

Durn tootin'! It was absolutely beautiful watching it go up.

How many launches left? I may hafta look into a pilgrimage.

If I recall, there are three left. Not bad for a 29-year old system that was only designed to go 20 years.

Wooow!! very wonderful!!

It must be a hell of n eperience to fly on one of those!

Yeah, it must be. I would have hitched a lift right after the Challenger disaster, had I been asked.

Would that have been wise, after the disaster?

I'm sure most people would have thought exactly
the opposite.

I grew up during the original space race. I'm a complete nerd for the space program.

How far do you reckon we've progressed with space travel?

Whaile we're on the subject, I recommend watching "Wings
of Honneamise" (1987) an anime film set on an alternate
world. The plot involved a space programme.

Using current heavy-lift boosters we could go back to the Moon or take a long-duration trip to Mars. But there are a lot of private companies, as well as NASA, that are developing new technologies. SpaceX, I believe, has one of their boosters ready to fly at Kennedy, along with their prototype Dragon manned capsule. And the Air Force has the still-quite-classified X-37 (which looks like either a sports car Shuttle or a the world's largest flying female joy appliance) is getting ready for its first flight.

Lucky sod. I'd consider it not only an honour, but an amazing memory, period, to be able to see a Shuttle launch in person. O___o Roughly three, hey? Hmmm, I think I know where we might be going for vacation this year... Heh.

Space is where we need to go. Our future here is on a timer, unless theres some yet untapped technology that can completely keep us going on this rock. We need to figure this out NOW. instead of reacting when its too late.

Agreed. No one's going to come and give it to us. We need to figure it out for ourselves.

In a bittersweet thought, no matter where it goes, we will be dead and gone and forgotten long long after it might happen. Not that its a bad thing, just the way it is.

With that said though, I envy those that can do, or even witness, it happening.

Wonder if Cro Magnon man ever thought it would be possible to start a fire with a 85 cent lighter.

Interesting thought, that last.

I know we'll reach the stars, but not in my lifetime.

Beautiful shot BTW.

Thank you. I was speeding to get home, hoping that it wouldn't go away before I could get my camera.